Indonesia_Bali

I am planning a Bali trip for 2026. I am not looking for Airbnbs but hotels. In general, Uluwatu is expensive because it's up and coming.

I am thinking about staying in Ubud in the middle of rice fields. To me, Bali beaches are not that great and over crowded. Ubud has busy parts too but some hotels deep on the hills may provide the peace and tranquility one desires.

"We would like to avoid the busiest places like Canggu"

Without wanting to put you off, you may want to temper your expectations. Bali is very popular with tourists from around the region and Australia - from Singapore for example it's a weekend away. The whole of the south is incredibly touristy and congested, so I wouldn't avoid Canggu specifically. For peace and tranquility, consider the northern part of the island instead, perhaps somewhere like Lovina (although that's a 3 hour or so drive from the south).

Have you considered a hotel rather than a villa, for the convenience?

We've been to Bali quite a few times - last year we stayed in Seminyak, at the Mutiara, which was very nice. Having said that, it doesn't meet your requirement of a sea view - for that Uluwatu is a good spot.

Sorry to not be more specific - I'm sure you'll have a good time.

Thank you for your replies. The goal is for the 4 of us (2 married couples) to have a living space where we can hang out together (hotels rooms generally aren’t great for that. We are definitely interested in quieter, more relaxing atmosphere and ability to view water and those legendary sunsets. We have never been there so have no idea what is realistic. Not opposed to going north - or even to another part of Indonesia. What about the Lombok area, Gili islands?

Lombok is nice (although also very popular), but Bali has the convenience advantage, given your limited timings. In terms of villas, you're more limited given the small size of your group (they tend to cater for bigger groups, families, weddings etc). Don't rule out a hotel where you can just gather by the pool - we've done this quite a few times with groups.

Sunsets - beautiful from the beach at Seminyak.

When we went to Bali in 2019 I found a lot of good advice on the tripadvisor forum. I would suggest posting there as well if you haven't . We loved Amed, but did stay in a small hotel. I do think you should consider looking at other options than a villa, it should not be that expensive to stay there. ( at least it wasn't 6 years ago). Many of the hotels you will have more of a cabana than a room, and a " lanai". As well several had extensive grounds to sit and visit on.

We visited Bali while on a cruise from Australia. Our ship was there for two days and one night.
We enjoyed our excursions on land, but found traffic to be terrible. Crowds of tourists are huge.

Frankly, I wouldn't have wanted to stay there any longer.

I would suggest not paying through the nose for lodging,

I wanted to add to a few of the comments on Bali, just to give some context. It's true that it is a budget destination for Australians, and a quick trip for many in the region, rather than a luxury vacation.

Having said that, if you can get out of the very touristy south (which is where the cruise ships and most tourists go), it is still beautiful. And it's hard to beat the friendliness and good service. And we go back regularly.

Incidentally, are you.locked in to flying via Jakarta?

Stay far, far away from the over-touristed mess that is Kuta in the far southeast. Kuta does have lovely beaches, but it's Indonesia's version of Cancun (which admittedly also has nice beaches). Go to the north coast, you can still find Bali's traditional charm there.

Your requirement for a direct view of the sea with sunsets is something you will have to pay for. The further away you get Kuta will help with that, too.

Thank you again, to all who replied, everything is helpful. Yes we are locked into flying into Jakarta. I don’t mind it, as we haven’t been and desired to go there also. We are retired and not on a timeline so can travel at leisure. Given all the suggestions, I am not looking for hotels in the north of Bali. That sounds like a good option. All additional comments will be appreciated.

Sorry - typo noticed. I am now looking for hotels in the North of Bali. I just booked The Lovina. thank you!

I’ve been to Bali on numerous occasions, sometimes for two month stays. Over the years we've stayed in most areas. We generally stay in private villas and have stayed at The Lovina in one of their villas with a private pool. Lovely resort.

I hope you enjoy Bali.